


scratch the surface (strike the soul),

by Raging_Nerd



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Adopted Children, Childhood, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Good Parent Grace Hargreeves, Growing Up Together, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 10:17:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20544518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raging_Nerd/pseuds/Raging_Nerd
Summary: The children all gasp as a little girl steps in with a tall, slender, woman, whose hand was resting firmly on her shoulder.Their father turns to look at them."This is Freida Handleman, and her daughter, Carmyn. She will be staying with us as Number Eight, is that understood?"Seven feels the confused nod her siblings send their father, but she too is confused so she follows suit.or,When the children are six, Reginald gets his hands on another child, unofficially making her Number Eight. But when the Hargreeves children begin to put two and two together, they realize Carmyn Handleman -- better know as Number Eight Hargreeves -- isn't all that she seems to be.





	scratch the surface (strike the soul),

**Author's Note:**

> Long ride my dudes.

**Chapter One**

Seven didn’t know why Reginald had them all lined up in the foyer. They were supposed to be training right now, and in exactly thirteen minutes they would be going to lunch. But if they weren’t training, that means lunch would be pushed back, and they wouldn’t get to eat for another hour or two.

Seven sighs, glancing at Six in surprise when he reached for her finger. He clasps on easily, and she takes his whole hand before dropping it to her side.

They were six, and all so very close, so she appreciated the gesture, looking at him with a smile when Reginald wasn’t paying attention to them. 

Their father snaps his cane on the ground, causing the youngest Hargreeves to flinch. His piercing eyes narrow in on her, and she pulls her hands behind her back, looking down.

"Even when I am not looking at you, I expect the best behaviour you could ever offer," he hisses, and Seven spares a glance at Pogo but he shakes his head, gesturing for her to turn away. "Is that understood?"

All seven children nod, straightening their postures just as someone knocks on the door.

Reginald adjusts his tie before opening it, and Seven has to strain her neck to peek. Grace comes to stand next to her as Pogo walks over to his master's side.

The children all gasp as a little girl steps in with a tall, slender woman, whose hand is resting firmly on her shoulder.

Their father turns to look at them. 

"This is Freida Handleman, and her daughter, Carmyn." He smiles eerily, and Seven finds herself pressing into her mother's side. Grace doesn't push her away, but comes closer as Reginald continues. "Carmyn will be staying with us as Number Eight, is that understood?"

Seven feels the confused nod her siblings send their father, but she too is confused so she follows suit. It’s then she observes Carmyn’s school girl uniform and long black hair, braided down her back. Her dark eyes fall on Seven as Reginald points to her.

“You can stand next to Number Seven, Number Eight,” he says, trying to sound genuine and kind in front of Ms. Handleman, but it comes out as a command. Carmyn flinches slightly, and Seven hears Six take in a breath. Number Eight scurries over, shying away from the curious gazes of the younger Hargreeves.

Reginald beckons for Ms. Handleman to follow him, before stopping at the staircase. “Grace, if you would take the children to lunch now,” he orders, and the children smile at the implication of no more training. 

Seven sees Carm -- Eight, sorry -- follow her mother as she walks behind Reginald, neck straining until Freida Handleman is gone and all that remains is a vacant staircase.

Grace smiles, walking over to Luther’s side. “Let’s go down to the kitchen, children,” she says in a cheery tone, and soon the ordeal is forgotten as they walk after their mother.

That doesn't mean Seven misses the way Pogo’s shoulders fall as he slides into the living room.

**~^~**

Two gets a chair from the storage room for Carmyn, and she smiles at him brightly when she thanks him. Four snickers as a pink flush spreads across his cheeks, and Seven rubs his back soothingly.

Today’s lunch is ham and cheese sandwiches. Not very special, but very yummy because Mom made it, Seven thinks as she removes the crust from her top layer of bread. She watches as Five takes his sandwich apart, eating each piece separately, and giggles when Four takes a ferocious bite out of his.

Carmyn jumps when Four burps, before dissolving in laughter. Three wrinkles her nose before smiling, and the One is laughing too, and everyone is hiccupping with giggles.

“What are all of your names? Or numbers, I guess,” Carmyn asks, putting her hands in her lap. One clears his throat, gesturing around the table.

“I’m Number One, he’s Number Two, she’s Number Three --”

And it went on until it bubbled down to Seven. Carmyn nods excitedly, taking a bite of her lunch. Five frowns, no longer dissecting his lunch as he looks at her, blue eyes meeting her inky black ones easily. 

“What should we call you?” he asks, and she thinks, silence drawing on as they stare at her expectantly.

“Call me Number Eight,” she says finally, and Five nods. 

Seven looks at Six as he shakes his head, looking at his nearly empty plate as he appears to be in deep thought. “But your name is Carmyn, why would you want to be Number Eight?”

She shrugs, biting her sandwich again. “I’m gonna stay here now, I might as well match,” she says as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Mom comes back, taking their plates and placing a tray of cookies in the middle of the table. All conversations on names die as they dive into their dessert.

**~^~**

Reginald gives them the rest of the day off, and they spend it in the courtyard under Pogo’s supervision. 

One, Two, and Four are gallivanting around, ignoring Three’s cries of obvious distress and disagreement. Five groans, covering his ears, and Six looks up from his book to comfort his brother. Seven braids a few strands of grass as Eight babbles in her ear.

Seven rubs her hands together, dropping the braid. This was nice, she decided. Having someone to talk to that weren’t boys was great, in Seven’s opinion.

She’s about to tell Eight this when Reginald and Ms. Handleman appears in the doorway. Number Eight stops talking immediately, running over to her mother. All activities in the courtyard seize as the Hargreeves look at Eight.

“Number Eight, it is time to tell your mother goodbye,” Reginald says curtly. “She will be returning to Canada this evening. There is no guarantee you’ll see her anytime soon.”

The girl sniffs, and Seven feels Five stiffen and Six slouch.

They watch as Carmyn embraces her mother, pressing a kiss to her cheek when Ms. Handleman crouches down. Seven wraps her arms around herself and Freida squeezes her daughter one last time, a soft sob shaking her frame.

Seven leans into Five’s hand when he rests it on her shoulder, scooting backwards so she can rest on his knee.

When Freida stands, Reginald places a hand on Number EIght’s shoulder, looking at Pogo.

“Pogo, if you would escort Ms. Handleman to the door,” he says. Then he turns to the other children. “Number Three, if you would come with me.”

Seven watches as her older sister walks towards their father, confusion flickering onto her face. He guides both girls out of the courtyard before turning to look at them again.

“Free time is over. Prepare for dinner and bed, immediately,” he snaps, and Seven curls in on herself as her gaze follows her sister and friend before they disappear from her eyesight.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks fo reading!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated.


End file.
